PortandTerminal.com, August 22, 2020

The bodies of two of the missing crew members were recovered at approximately 2 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., Saturday | Two crew members remain missing.

CORPUS CHRISTI – The bodies of two missing crew members of a dredging boat were found Saturday following an explosion a day earlier in the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard crews respond to a dredge on fire in the Port of Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Aug. 21, 2020 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Authorities say several people have been hospitalized after an explosion at the Texas port when a dredging vessel hit a natural gas pipeline in the water. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Two other crew members of the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd remain missing, the Coast Guard said in a news release.

A Coast Guard helicopter and boats were searching for the missing crew members.

The fire onboard the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd was extinguished at approximately 10 p.m. Friday after the vessel broke apart and sunk. The Waymon L Boyd is owned by Houston-based marine construction contractor Orion Marine Group.

Approximately, 6,000 feet of absorbent boom has been placed around the vessel. Another 4,000 feet of absorbent boom is available if needed. Air quality testing by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is ongoing.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port of Corpus Christi has closed the Inner Harbor from the Chemical Turning Basin to the Viola Turning Basin.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the impacted crewmen and their families,” said Sean Strawbridge, CEO, Port of Corpus Christi. “A full investigation is underway; however, search and rescue efforts are our first priority. It will not be clear for some time the cause of this accident, and any definitive statements to the contrary would be premature. We will continue to provide updates as the situation progresses.”